1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus, and more particularly to an imaging apparatus that can multiple combine a plurality of captured images.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has conventionally been a technology of performing multiple exposure shooting through addition processing of a plurality of digital image signals. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-352229 discusses a method for separately generating and saving respective captured images captured for multiple exposure shooting and a multiple image into which all the captured images are superimposed. According to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-352229, images are combined based on raw data on frames captured by the time when imaging of a set number of frames is completed or when multiple exposure is interrupted. The resulting multiple combined image (multiple exposure shooting image) and the captured images (original images) are then recorded on a recording medium.
If multiple exposure shooting is interrupted, the number of images to be combined can sometimes be only one. In such a case, according to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-352229, combination is performed based on a single original image captured so far, and the resulting multiple combined image and the original image are recorded on a recording medium. Since the multiple combined image and the original image are substantially the same, there are recorded the same two images. This is a waste of the capacity of the recording medium.